Automatic stock counter



March 19, 1929, R, HOLM N 1,705,766

V AUTOMATIC STOCK COUNTER Filed Sept. 15, 1924 :5 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 19, 1929. R. H OLMAN 4 AUTOMATIC swock coun'rsn Filed Sept. 15, 1924 3 SheetsSheet 2 M .iii/2%- March 19,, 1929.

R; HOLMAN 1,705,766

AUTOMATIC STOCK COUNTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 A Filed Sept. 15, 1924 A m h Patented Mar. 19, 1929.

UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE. I

RUDOLPH HOLMAN, or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs AssIGNoa To THE VORTEX MFG. 00., or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC STOCK COUNTER.

Application filed September 15, 1924. Serial No. 737,659.

" upon the adjustment at which the counter'is set for-the purpose of counting oil selected quantities of the formed containers.

It is an object of this invention to provide an automatic stock counter mechanism adapted for use in connectionwith container forming machines and arranged to stop blank feeding means and container'stacking means after a predetermined quantity of containers have been formed. 7

It is also an object of this invention to provide a cup stacking machine with an au tomatic counter adapted to control the cup blank feedlng mechanism.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a cup forming machine withan an tomatic cup counter associated Withthe cup stacking attachment of the machine. and adapted after a predetermined numberof cups have been formed, to automatically stop the operation of the cup stacking attachment. J Y

t is furthermore an object of the inven-' tion to provide a cup or dish forming'machine wherein a stacking attachment has a counter associated therewith which is equipped with means adapted to operate at predetermined times and move into a position to be actuated by a plunger rod of the cup stacking attachment to automatically cause stopping of the blank feed mechanism and the cup stacking attachment.

v Another object of the invention is to provide a counterfor. a cup stacking attachment of a paper cup forming machine, said counter adapted to be set toact after the forming of. a predetermined quantity of cups to cause release of a trip lever connected w1th the operatmg mechanisms of the cup stacking attachment to automatically stop thesame.

'It isan important object of this invention to provide a container forming machine with an 7 automatic counter for containers with said counter arranged to count off predetermined quantities of the formed containers as they are deposited into a con-v tainer stacking attachment, and furthermore, having connected therewith to be op erated thereby, a plurality of governing mechanisms which control the operation of a blank feed device and of a clutch controlled device governing the operation of the container stacking attachment. of the machine.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanyingdrawings.

.This invention illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described. I

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary end elevation of .a container forming machine equipped .with an automatic counter embodying the principles of this invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation of'a standard counter 1 en ioved fromv the machine and having controlling mechanisms connected therewith for governing stop mechanisms controlling difi'erent parts of V the machine. Y g I Figure 31s a sectional view taken on l1ne 35-3 of Figure 2.

'Figure tisan end view vof the 'counter taken on line 14 of Figure 2.

(in a preferred form) is.

Figure 5"is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Figure 1 with parts shown in elevation.

Figure 6 is a detailed view of the machine taken on line 66 of Figure 1.

.Figure '7 is an.enlarged detail section taken on line 77 ofFigure 1 through the blank feed mechanism and showing parts in elevation.

j As shown on the drawings:

The reference numeral 1 indicates the frame of a cup or dish forming machine of any desired construction and having mount.- ed uponthe top thereof cup blank holding magazine2 adapted to receive a drive a container as-the case may be.

through suitable connections from the machine driving mechanism which is connected to impart a drive to a bevel pinion 3 (Figure 7 The pinion 3 is in mesh with a bevel gear 4 secured on one end of a hollow shaft 5 which is journalled. in a bearing frame (3 supported on the machine frame 1. A rod or shaft 7 slidably projects into the hollow shaft 5 and has a knob or hand lo 8 fixed on the outer end thereof. Seated within the hollow shaft 5 and contacted by the inner end of the slidable rod 7 is a coiled spring 9 which normally acts to hold the rodprojected in a release position, when a look ing lever 10 is raised into a released position to permit a collar 11 secured on the rod 7 to pass beneath said locking lever. Secured diametrically through the rod 7 is a drive pin 12 the ends of which project through slots 13 provided in the hollow shaft 5. When the locking lever 10 is lowered to hold the rod 7 in its driving position as illustrated in Figure 7 the. spring 9 is compressed and the drive pin 12 is seated in the inner ends of the slots 13 so that the projecting ends of the pin are positioned to coact with a pin 141 secured on one end of a container blank feed reel 15 which is rotatably supported on the hollow shaft 5 within the bearing box 6. A blank feed friction pad 16 made of rubber or other suitable material is carried by the reel 15 and projects beyond the periphery thereof so as to frictionally contact a paper blank seated in the bottom of the blank holding magazine 2 to feed the blank outwardly from the magazine at a predetermined time into the machine to be formed into a cup, a dish or The further details of the blank'feeding mechanisms are not illustrated or described inasmuch as they form no part of the present invention.

Mounted on the machine frame 1 is a driving shaft 17 which is connected to receive a drive from the main driving mechanisms of the machine. Mounted on the outer end, of the shaft 17 is a sprocket adapted to impart a drive to a chain 18. The chain 18 is trained around a sprocket mounted on one end of a shaft 19 journalled in suitable bearings on the machine frame 1. Loosely mounted on the shaft 19 is a bevel gear 20 which is adapted to receive a drive from a suitable one point clutch unit 21 also mounted on the shaft 19. Also loosely mounted on the shaft 19 and secured to the bevel gear 20 are cams 22 and 23 as illustrated in Figure 1. The clutch unit 21 is adapted to be operated by a yoke arm 24L which is secured to the lower end of a vertical shaft 25 journalled in brackets 26 and 27 supported on the machine frame 1. Secured on the upper projecting end of the vertical shaft 25 is a bracket arm 28 having an opening or passage on the outer end thereof. Connected to the outer end'of the bracket arm 28 is a coiled spring 29 the other end. of which is secured to the machine frame. Integrally formed on the bracket arm 28 is an upwardly directed bracket arm 30 having a ball or head 31 formed on the end thereof. Pivotally mounted on the upper horizontal portion of the bracket arm 30 is a fulcrumcd trigger or lever 32 one end of which projects over the ball 31 while the other end has connected therewith the upper end of a latch rod 33. The latch rod 33 projects through a boss 3 1 formed on the bracket arm 30 and also has the lower end thereof slightly projecting through the opening in the bracket arm 28 as illustrated I in Figure 6. Secured on the latch rod 33 is a collar 35 against which the lower end of a coiled spring 36 seats. The coiled spring 36 iscoiled around the latch rod 33 between the boss 34 and the collar The spring 36 is provided for the purpose of holding the lower end of the latch rod projected through the apertured end of the bracket arm 28 with the lower end of the latch arm 33 seated in an apertureprovided in the horizontal flange of an angle bar 37 secured to the machine frame 1. Projecting upwardly through the opening in the horizontal flange of the angle bar 37 is the upper end of a stub pin 38 which contacts the lower end of the latch rod 33. The latch rod 33 when in lowered locking position acts to hold the bracket arm 28 locked in a set position. against the action of the spring 29. As illustrated in Figure 1 the actuating pin 38 has the lower end thereof supported on one end of a. bell crank 3-9 which is pivoted on the angle bar 37. Connected to the other arm of the bell crank'39 is a connecting rod 40 the other end of which is connected to one arm of another bell crank t1 which is also pivotally mounted on the angle bar 37. Connected to the second arm of the bell crank 41 is the lower end of a connecting rod or bar 42 the upper end of which is connected with the bevelled end of a trip lever 13. The trip lever 13 has one end thereof pivotally mounted on one arm of a bell crank 14 which. is pivotally mounted on a bracket arm 15 which is integrally formed on a bracket 16 which has a notch therein through which the trip bar l3 projects. The trip bar also projects through a notched. bracket 47.

Rigidly supported on a bracket 48 mounted on a standard 19 on the machine frame 1 are the legs 50 of a counter housing 51 to the ends of which the notched brackets 46 and 47 are secured. The counter mechanism 51 may be of any selected standard construction having sight apertures 52 in the ill) front Wall thereof through which the numing 51.

Figure 3 one of the counter discs 53 is illustrated with a pluralityof pins 54 on one side thereof arranged in a ring at spaced intervals. The disc 53 is provided with an opening 55 into which a member 56 projects.

Pivotally mounted in the counter housing 51 is a spring controlled dog or pawl 57 adapted to coact with the pins 54 on the disc to resiliently hold said disc against rotation. The disc 53 is supported within the housing on a: shaft 58 one end of which projects through one end wall of the housing and has pivotally supported thereon a bell crank member comprising a long arm 59 and a short curved arm 60 (Figure 4). Pivotally supported on-one end of the short bell crank arm 60 is a pawl 61 having one end of a coiled spring 62 attached thereon. The other end of the spring 62 is connected to a projection 63 formed on the bell crank 60. The pawl 61 is positioned to project into an opening 64 in the end of the counter housing 51 to actuate the first counter disk 53 in the counter housing throughthe pins 54. I Pivotally mounted on the top of thecounter housing 51 is a control trigger or, dog 65 having an integral arm 66 formed thereon from which a counterweight 67 is hung. If desired thecountel-weight 67 may be omitted in which case the arm 66 is made heavy enough to permit the dog 65 to fall by gravity into a latching position. The counterweight 67 acts to hold one margin of the control dog 65seated within a notch 68 provided in the upper edge of the trip arm or lever 43. A curved finger'69 is integrally formed on the lower portion of the control dog 65 and said finger 69 projects through a slot 70 into the interior of the counter housing 51 to coact with the pins 54 on) the middle counter disc 53. As illustrated in Figure 2 one end of a coiled spring 71 is connected to the trip lever 43 while the other end of said spring is connected to the bracket 47 on the counter hous- As illustrated in Figure 1 the control lever 10 which governs the action of the blank feed reel drive rod 7 hasthe free end thereof connected to the upper end of a connecting rod 72the lower end of which is connected to one'arm of the ball crank 44.

The bell crank 60 is adapted tobe actuated by means of a chain or rope 73 the upper end of which is connected with the end of the long bell crank arm 59. The lower end of the chain 73 is connected to a stud 74 formed on the lower squared link 107 having the upper end thereof connected to a vertical plunger rod 75 by a pin coupling block 82.

The double link rod 7 5107 forms a part of.

' the machine. A spring 108 is engaged around a rod 109 the upper end of which is pivot-ally connected to the long bell crank arm 59. Therod 109 slidably projects through an apertured projection 110 secured on the counter housing 51. V

The cup stacking attachment comprises the plunger rod 75107 the upper link 75 of which is mounted to slidably project through a guide sleeve 76 supported on the machine frame 1. The upper portion of the plunger rod 75 also projects upwardly through an aperture in a top plate 77 of the machine.

The upper end of the plunger rod 75 is curved downwardly as indicated at 78 and has a conical pusher head 79 mounted on the end thereof in position to engage in a discharged receptacle to move the same down? Wardly through a rotatable ring 80 supported beneath and projecting through the table plate 77. A ring gear 83 is secured to the bottom of the ring 80. Projecting intotacle receiving tube81'into which there, ceptacles are adapted to be deposited in nested relation one within the other by the action of the conical plunger head 79 when the same is operated by the reciprocating tube 81 as illustrated in Figure 1. The

lower end of the shaft 85 projects through a suitable bearing 86 supported on the machine .the ring gear 83 is the upper end of a recepframe. A bevelled gear 87 is secured on the lower projecting end of the shaft 85 and is positioned so that when the clutch mechanism-21 is thrown in the bevelled gear 20 will transfer a drive to the shaft 85 thereby causing rotation of the ring gear 83 and the: re-

ceptacle tube 81. The tube 81 is rotated a fraction of a revolution each time a completed receptacle or cup is deposited within the tube. This arrangement is provided so that the receptacles are nested with the folded portions thereof staggered, so as to produce a stack of cups which will be straight and will not tend to bend or curve to one side when the stack of receptacles is removed from the tube 81. g

A mechanism is provided for automatically delivering or transferring a formed receptacleor cup from the forming mechanism to the stacking mechanism. The de livering'or transferring mechanism broadly comprises a transfer bracket 88 which is adapted to be operated by a. slidable block or shoe 89 movably engaged on a stationary guide bar 90. The table 77 is slotted to permit a connecting bar 111. attached to the slidable shoe 89'to be projected; upwardly through the table for connection with the transfer bracket 88. Pivotally connected to the slidable shoe 89 is the upper end of a bell crank arm 91 the lower sleeve end of which is rotatably supported on a longitudinally directed shaft 92 supported in suitable bearings on the machine frame 1.

v mounted upon the bearing bracket 86 as illustrated in Fig. 1. Rotatably mounted on the short arm of the bell crank 97 is a roller 100 which is adapted to trackon the periphery of the cam 22 to receive a drive from the shaft 19 when the clutch 21 is in operating position.

Tracking on the periphery of the cam 23 is a roller 101 which is rotatably mounted on the end of an arm 102 the hub of which is secured to the shaft 98 adjacent one side of the bearing bracket 99. Secured to the swift 98 adjacent the other side of the bearing bracket 99 is the hub end of an arm 103. Pivot-ally connected to the outer end of the arm 103 is the lower end of a connecting rod 104, theupper end of which is pivotally connected to the end of the short arm. of a bell crank 105 which is pivotally supported on a shaft 106 supported on the machine frame. The end of the long arm of the bell crank 105 pivot ally connected with the lower end of the squared plunger link 107.

The operation is as follows:

The receptacle forming machine is adapted to be operated from any suitable source of power and is provided with suitable driving means connected to transmit a drive to the bevel gears 3 and 4 of the blank feed mechanism (Figure 7). Rotation of g the bevel gear 4 causes rotation of the hollow shaft 5. When the control arm 10 is in its lower locking position as illustrated in Figure 7 the shaft 7 is held in its inner posit-ion compressing the spring 9 and positioning the drive pin 12 so that the projecting ends thereof coacting with the pin 14 will cause rotation of the blank feed reel 15. As the friction pad 16 of the blank feed reel 15 moves into its uppermost position it engages a receptacle blank in the magazine 2 and feeds the blank from the magazine into the field of operation of the receptacle forming mechanisms of the machine. The advanced blank is formed into a receptacle by the forming mechanisms and is ready to be discharged from the forming means and delivered to the stacking attachment of the machine.

.the bell crank When the clutch 21 is thrown in a drive is imparted to the cam 22and thereby to 97 which in turn operates the connecting rod 90 and the bell crank 91-93 to cause the receptacle vpusher bracket 88 to transfer the formed receptacle fronrthe forming mechanisms into a position over the rotatable ring 80 above the receptacle receiving tube 81.

The cam 23 on the shaft 19 coacting with the roller 101 operates the crank arm 102 and the crank arm 103 to cause operation of the connecting rod 104 so that the bell crank 105 is operated on the shaft 106 to cause reciprocation of the link 107 and the pusher rod of the receptacle stacking mechanism. With the lowering of the pusher rod 7 f the plunger head 79 is low-' ered to seat in the formed receptacle and push said receptacle from the bracket 88 through the ring and into the upper end of the receptacle receiving tube 81. The formed receptacles are thus stacked in nested relation one within the other in the receiving tube 81. When. the clutch 21 is in driving position the bevelled gear 20 is also rotated thereby causing rotation of the shaft and the pinion 84 mounted on said shaft. The pinion 84 being in mesh with the ring gear 83 (Figure 1) causes rotation of the gear 83 and the receptacle receiving tube 81 each time a receptacle is delivered thereto. By partially rotating the receptacle receiving tube 81 each time a receptacle is delivered thereto the receptacles are stacked so that the folded portions thereof are de-' posited in staggered relation, with the re ceptacles forming a straight stack which will not tend to bend or curve as is the case when folded receptacles are stacked with the folded portions" thereof deposited one above the other. a

The operation of the feeding, forming and stacking mechanisms having been briefly described attention is now directed tothe'operation of the automatic receptacle counter mechanisms associated with the machine and operated thereby. Then the clutch 21 is thrown in the cam 23 is rotated thereby causing operation of the crank arms'102 and 103 and connecting rod 104 which in turn acts to operate the bell crank 105. VJ hen the bell crank is operated it acts to swing the long arm of the bell crank downwardly from the position illustrated in Figure 5 thereby causing lowering of the link 107 and the pusher rod 75. The plunger head 79 mounted on the pusher rod 75 is thus lowered and the receptacle isdelivered into the tube 81 by the plunger head 79. The chain 72) is pulled by the lowering of the link 107 and actuates the arm 59 of the bell crank 60 to permit the pawl 61 to operate the first disk of the counter mechanism each time a receptacle is delivered into the tube 81. The trip arm 43 is heldretracted by the dog 65 so that the coupler 82 will notoperate the trip arm. 43.' It will thus be seen thateach time a receptacle enters the tube 81 that the chain 7 3 acts to operate the counter to cause the, counter mechanisms to register the number of receptacles delivered into the tube. The receptacles are thus automatically counted and the figures appear-' ing in the-sight apertures of'the counter housing indicate the number of receptacles.

' delivered into the tube 81.

To permit the stacked receptacles to be counted off in predetermined quantities I I within the tube 81 the disc 53 of thecounter mechanism is provided with the pins 54 which are arranged ten in number at equal intervals. The'pins aremounted on the disc 53 which, of course, is the disc which registers hundreds and has the periphery thereof positioned to be seen through the middle'aperture .52 in the counter housing.

69 toswing said finger outwardly from the position shown in Figure 3 therebycausing the dog 65 to swing upwardly'on its pivotout of locking engagement with the trip arm 43- to release the same. Withthe movement ofithe dog out of locking engagement with the trip arm 43 the spring 71 (Fig. 2) acts to pull the trip arm forwardly through the notched brackets 46 and 47 to position the. bevelled end of the trip arm'in theipath of the coupler82 on the pusher rod +107, The forward movement of the trip arm 43 in a direction toward the tube 81 causes operation of the bellcrank 44 which in turn acts to push the connecting. rod -72 upwardly;-

thereby automatically swinging the contro arm 10 about its pivot, into a.release post tion out of holding contact withthe collar 11- .(Figure 7) on the driverod7'of3the blank feed mechanism. With the release movementofthe control arm 10 the spring 9 acts to pushv therod '7 outwardly with respect to the-hollow shaft: 5 thereby causing the drive pin-12 to move out .of thepath of the pin 14 on the blank feed reel 15-. The

blank feed mechanism isthus automatically stopped at a predetermined time in the counting of the receptacles as delivered into the stacking tube 81., After the hundredth receptacle has been deposited in the tube 81 and the :counterhas been properly operated to register the number v ef' cllps delivered, a

Each time a receptacle is marker in the form of a false cup, may be inserted through the slot in the tube 81 to project from the hundredth cup. In this way the cups deposited within thetube may easily be counted ofi" in hundreds. 1 s

With the upward movement of the pusher rod 75 the coupler 82 is moved into engagement with the end of the forwardly projected trip arm 43; Thetrip arm isthus lifted upwardly a short distance to cause a pull tobe exerted upon the connecting rod" 42 thereby causing operation of the bell crank 41, the rod 40 and the bell crank 39.. Thebell crank 39 thereby causes the pin 38 to'moveiupwardly to push the latch rod 33 out of locking engagement with the aperture in the horizontal flange of the angle bar. 27,

When. this occurs the bracket arm 28 is re- .leased and thecontrol spring 29jconn'ected therewith acts to swing the bracket arm 28 to cause partial rotation'ofthevertical con trol shaft 25. Partial rotation o'fthe shaft 25 actuates the clutch yoke 24 thereby causing the same to move the clutch 21 into release position to disconnect thedrive, from the shaft 19 to the cams 22 and 23 and to the bevelgear 20. The operation of the f receptacle transfer mechanism' and the receptacle stacking mechanismis thus auto-s matically stopped following the stopping of the operation of the blank feed mechanism. If at any time during the operation of the machine it becomes necessary or'it is desired.

to stop the operation of the receptacle transfer mechanism and, the receptacle stacking mechanism the controldog 65 may be manually" lifted by the handle 66 to release the trip arm 43 thereby causing stopping of the feeding and stackingmechanisms.

v To start the machine, the trip arm 43 first manually pushed back to be latched by the control dogs "65. -The.knob:8 is nextpushed-in to cause starting of the blank feed mechanisms after which the lever 32 is manually operated to releasethelatch rod 33. The arm 28;.is-then manually'swun'g against the resistance of the springs 29 until. the latch rod 33 comes into registry with an 7 other aperture :in1 the member '37. r The clutch'21isthus thrown in to drive the cam 22 and '23- and the bevel gear 20. After a predetermined number of receptacles have been deposited in the stackingtube 81 the blank feed mechanisms associated with the blank holdingmagazine 2, the

transfer me'chanismfcontrolled by the cam 22 and the receptacle stacking mechanism controlled by the cam 23 and the bevel gear 20, are all automaticallystopped as hereinbefore described. W'ith thecontrol dog 65 coacting witlrthe counter middle disc 53 the automatic counter affords a'l vmeans whereby the receptaclestacking mechanism is adaptedto be automatically stopped every, time one hundred receptacles are delivered the hundredth receptac into the tube 81. With the stopping of the stacking-and feeding mechanisms an attendant at the machine is merely required to place a marker of any desired type within e. The cycle of operations may now be repeated by restoring the trip arm 43, and the blank feed control rod 7 before the starting lever 32 is depressed and the arm 28 is swung into operating position to be latched therein by the latch rod 33 which is adapted to be projected back into latching position into the aperture in the angle bar 37 by means of the spring 36.

-By associating the counter control dog with the counter disc indicating thousands the blank feed mechanisms, the receptacle transfer mechanisms and the receptacle stacking mechanisms, may all be automatically stopped after a thousand receptacleshave been deposited in the stacking tube 81. The counter illustrated and used in connection with the present application is a counter of standard construction having the control dog 65 associated therewith as hereinbefore described and having the trip bar 43 mounted thereon with suitable connections to the blank feed mechanism and to the clutch control mechanism as already described.

I am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention: I

1. The combination with a receptacle stacking mechanism, of a counter, a trip member mounted thereon, a driving mechanism for said receptacle stacking mechanism, control means connected with the driving mechanism and with said trip member, a reciprocating member forming part of the receptacle stacking mechanism and connected to operate the counter, and means 'on said reciprocating member to coact with the trip member at predetermined. times to cause the control means to automatically in terrupt said driving means to stop the operation of the receptacle stacking mechanism after a predetermined number of receptacles have beendeposited in the receptacle stacking mechanism.

2. The combination with a receptacle stacking mechanism, of a receptacle counting device, means for operating the receptacle stacking mechanism, a reciprocating mechanism for delivering receptacles into the receptacle stacking mechanism, a coupler on said reciprocating mechanism, a trip'member 011 said counting device positioned to be operated by said coupler to cause the operation of said stacking mechanism to be automatically discontinued at predetermined times.

3. The combination with a receptacle stacking mechanism, of a reciprocating means associated therewith for depositing receptacles into the stacking mechanism, driving'means connected to operate the reciprocating means, a cluth device governing the driving means, a counter connected with the reciprocating means for automatically counting the receptacles deposited in the stacking mechanism, and means associated with the counter to be automatically actuated by the reciprocating means to cause automatic operation of the clutch device to stop the operation of the receptacle stacking mechanism and the reciprocating means after a predetermined quantity of recepta- -cles has been deposited in the stacking mechanism and counted by the counter.

4. In a receptacle forming machine the combination with the receptacle stacking mechanism and the receptacle transfer mechanism thereof, of driving means therefor, a clutch governing said driving "means, a reciprocating means for delivering receptacles from the transfer mechanism into the stacking mechanism, a counter connected'to be actuated by the reciprocating means, a control mechanism mounted on the counter to be operated thereby at predetermined times, mechanisms for connecting the clutch device with said control mechanism, and a member on said reciprocating means for actuating" the control mechanism to automatically release the clutch device to cause stopping of the operation of the transfer mechanism and the receptacle stacking mechanism.

5. In a receptacle forming machine the. combination with the blank feed mechanism thereof, of means for controlling the operation thereof, a counter, a control dog operated thereby, a trip member on the counter connected with the blank feed control means, and means for operating the trip member and the counter whereby release of the control dog will cause automaticstopping of the blank feed mechanism.

6. In a receptacle forming machine the combination with a receptacle receiving tube, of a reciprocating device for delivering re ceptacles to the tube, driving means connected with the reciprocating device, a clutch governing said driving means, a coun ter connected to be operated by the reciprocating device to count the receptacles delivered to said tube, and mechanisms connected to be actuated by the counter through said reciprocating device to cause the clutch to be automatically released after a prede tel-mined number of receptacles has been delivered to said receptacle receiving tube.

7.-In a device of the classdescribed the combination with a receptacle receiving tube, of reciprocating means for delivering re its ii a) ceptacles into the tube, a driving means connected with said reciprocating device to actuate the same, a clutch governing said driving means, a counter connected to be'ope-rated by the reciprocating device, means for governing the operation of, said clutch, a trip lever mounted on said counter and connected with said clutch governing means, a control dog supported on the counter and adapted to be automatically released at predetermined times to permit the trip lever to be actuated by the reciprocating device to cause release of the clutch and automatic stopping of said reciprocatingdevice.

8. In a receptacle forming machine of the class described the combination'with a receptacle receiving tube, 0t reciprocating means for depositing receptacles therein, a counter operated by saidreciprocating means for g comb1nat1on with a blank holding magazine, of blank feed mechanisms connected therecounting the receptacles delivered into the tube, and mechanisms controlled by the counter adapted to automatically govern the operation ot-said reciprocatingnleans.

9. In a receptacle forn'iing machine the combination with a receptacle receiving tube, of reciprocating means for delivering receptacles thereto, a shoe on said reciprocating means, a driving mechanism connected to operate the reciprocatingmeans, a clutch governing the driving means, a counter connected to be operated by the reciprocating means to count the receptacles delivered into the tube, a trip lever mounted on'saidcounter and connected with said clutch, and a control dog adapted to be operated by the counter to release 'said trip lever to permit the trip lever to be' operated by said shoe. automatically causing release of the clutch scribed my name.

and stopping of the reciprocating means after a predetermined quantity of receptacles has been delivered to said tube.

10. The combination with a. receptacle stacking mechanism, of acounter connected to be operated thereby, a spring controlled trip lever on said counter, a control dog adaptedto be operated by the counter for holding the trip lever in release position, a clutch governing the operation of the stacking mechanism, a release mechanism connecting said clutch with the trip lever, said counter adapted to actuate said control dog each time a predetermined quantity of re-' ceptacles delivered into the stacking mech anism has been counted b the counter to cause release of the clutch 'y said trip lever and stopping of the stacking mechanism.

11; In a receptacle forming machine the with, a slidable member for governing the operation of said blank feed mechanisms,a pivoted lever for holding said slidable member in driving position, a counter for counting the number of blanks delivered from said blank holding magazine by said blank feed mechanisms, and control means connected with saidpivoted lever adapted to be operated by the counter at predetermined times to cause automatic release of the pivoted lever and said'slidable member to stop the operation of the blank feed mechanisms after a counted number of blanks has been delivered thereby.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub- RUDOLPH HOLMAN. 

